Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Women's Health

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I’m sorry it’s been so long since I joined you in the blogging world. Has it really been a year and a half? Well, that makes total sense. A year and half ago is exactly when my mother entered her “Last Days” as she called them. She even called them “LD” for short (yes, she was able to have humor about it, can you believe it?). For four months, she was able to do less and less, the last two she was completely bed ridden, and I was doing more and more to take care of her. After her death in December of 2014, I entered a year of grieving and executing her estate. I took a couple of weeks off work here and there, but not much.

You might guess that this was pretty hard on me. I don’t think I fully realized how hard until last fall when my back went out. I ended up with a herniated disc in the low back, and it’s taken 6 months to recover (minimum time for a disc to heal, and I did it without an injection or surgery, instead using frequent acupuncture, chiropractic, swimming… that’s another blog!)

From a Chinese Medicine point of view, I’ve had kidney deficiency. This translates in modern lingo to Adrenal Fatigue. I often see it in middle aged women trying to do everything, like me. So besides bringing you up to date on what’s going on with me, I thought I’d share with you how Adrenal Fatigue develops and what to do about it.

Stress and doing too much, not getting enough sleep… sound familiar? We all have a certain amount of this in our lives, or bouts of it, but when it goes on for long or becomes too extreme, this can deplete and even exhaust the adrenals, little blobs of glands sitting on top of your kidneys. The adrenals produce cortisol and other such hormones and are especially involved in the fight or flight response. You’ve probably heard something about this at some point in your life. We’re meant to have the adrenals kick in during extreme situations, for brief periods of time, when we need to fight or flee. When we get stuck in the response for long periods of time and the adrenals keep kicking out adrenaline, after a while they can just get worn out! This can mean an exhaustion that takes more than a good night of sleep or a weekend to recover from.

Some of the effects of stress and Adrenal Fatigue on a body include:

Reduced adrenal hormones; for example cortisol, which has anti-inflammatory properties. This can mean more pain.

Constant fight or flight, anxiety, insomnia means decreased blood flow to the internal organs. They don’t work as well.

Loss or no digestive enzymes and stomach acid (HCL) means food decomposes rather than digesting leading to gas, bloating, and constipation.

With less HCL production, bile flow is not stimulated from the liver. It can overload and become toxic.

Less bile plus HCL can also lead to an overgrowth of yeast and bacteria, histamine reactions from rotting food, and a suppressed immune system.

If things get really bad, it can lead to break downs such as IBS, Crohn’s, liver dysfunction, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, or worse.

So don’t let it get this far!

So let’s say, like me you’ve already fatigued your adrenals some. How do we back out of it before it leads to more severe symptoms? As I mentioned, this relates to the kidney system in Chinese Medicine. First and foremost, Acupuncture can relieve stress, and the kidneys like rest and routine. This means slowing down, saying no, watching your schedule so you don’t get over extended. Also, going to bed at a regular time and not too late (best is no later than 10pm, definitely not past midnight), getting up at the same time every day, having meals at regular times. We also need to get blood to our internal organs and help the digestive system and liver for a while. This means exercise and cleansing. Chinese herbs are great for this as well and can also help nourish the adrenals.

Every now and then someone says to me, “I heard that coffee is good for you,” or, “I heard that coffee has such and such nutrients.” Let’s set things straight. Coffee is a plant. Of course it has nutrients in it. More in the beans than after it is brewed. All plants probably do. On the other hand, health and healthy food has become a big, big market. Companies and food industries are all anxious to convince you that their new product or their food is good for you. So anxious, that the ones with money can even afford to pay for research. I know that there is even “evidence” out there that coffee has nutrients and is “good” for you somehow. I’m not even going to look for it or point it out to you or try to tear it apart.

What they leave out is what ELSE is in coffee, or what else it does, basically the side effects. This is where Chinese Medicine shines, so much so, that Western herbalists are realizing that all herbs should be classified according to Chinese Medicine principles. Every food has certain properties, such as temperature and toxicity. Through thousands of years of close observation that far surpasses any research that we have, Chinese herbalists have been able to classify plants based on what conditions they create in the body.

Coffee is hot and greasy. It creates heat in the body, and, if you think about coffee beans, you can even see the oil. This is not in and of itself bad. If you are someone who is very cold and dry, you might need that. The problem is most Americans are already hot and damp. Heat and damp are basically inflammation. All the stuff we love creates heat and damp and so inflammation. Coffee, sugar, meat, dairy, alcohol, smoking, gluten…… We are mostly all a little bit inflamed due to growing up eating all of these. More coffee is not going to help this problem, but only make it worse.

And don’t start thinking that just because you have cold hands and/or feet or feel a little cold sometimes that you are cold and need coffee. This more often comes from stagnation, meaning basically poor circulation. Exercise would be better. Generally, only the very malnourished, the very old, or those working outdoors in the cold a lot are cold enough to need coffee. So coffee isn’t ALWAYS too hot, just wait until you are old, or save it for a cold day.

On top of that, caffeine is both toxic and draining. It is a DRUG, and has to be eliminated through the liver and kidneys. Constantly doing this every day is hard on them. If feels like it gives you energy, but that is not coming from any root source of energy. Ginseng or a good food gives you energy because it nourishes. My herb teacher used to say, caffeine is like using a credit card with no money in the bank. Keep doing it over a long period of time, and you’re going to go bankrupt. That’s exactly what coffee can do to people. Sorry, I know many will be unhappy to hear this, but that’s the truth about coffee. Whatever benefits it’s said to have are probably best gotten another way.

As a Chinese Medicine Practitioner specializing in Women’s Health, I often treat skin disorders, especially acne, eczema, and rosacea, among others. My female patients are, of course, dismayed to see these conditions happening on their face. Yuck! The good news is that all of these patients have greatly improved their skin, and in the course of treatment, they invariable ask me what I do to have clear skin. I’ve thought about writing about this for a while, but have hesitated because many women find what I do difficult to implement. It’s simple, just against the grain of our culture. However, it’s worked for me, so I will pass it along.

First it’s important to understand that, from Chinese Medicine point of view, the health of the skin, and therefore what we often consider beautiful, comes greatly from within. How we live our lives and what we eat can have a big impact. Also, I have had some difficulty with acne in the past, but learned how to largely get rid of it, so I have had experience with it. That said, here is what keeps my skin healthy:

Exercise – I have always exercised regularly, but moderately, from a very young age, from organized sports to hiking and yoga now. Exercise keeps the Qi energy flowing. Stagnant Qi easily leads to the heat, damp and stasis that causes acne and other skin disorders. The only caveat I would give is that I found it’s important to at least rinse your face after sweating or especially bicycling in the city. I used to get some acne when bicycling across Oakland to work, and found that an invisible layer of grime was getting on my face and causing acne. If I rinsed it off as soon as I got to work, that helped. Also, too much exercise can deplete the Qi and Yin, which has its’ own problems. Moderate.

Don’t touch you face! – Our hand are often dirty. Seems simple, but can be hard to implement. I used to have trouble, and I had to train myself to not touch. Takes some determination, but it CAN be done!

Splash Cold Water – In my twenties, I worked as a waitress while going to grad schools. While working at Kimballs Jazz Club in San Francisco, there was a young gay man working with me who had beautiful skin. When asked what he did, he said the secret was that he splashed his face 30 times with very cold water every day. I began doing this, and still do it to this day, although I don’t usually do 30 times. Often I do 3-4 on my face, and 3-4 on each side of my neck. I keep a separate towel for my face ONLY, and tap it gently dry afterwards. I change the towel to a clean one once a week.

“Don’t put anything on your face” – EXCEPT a very light, hypoallergenic, fragrance free lotion. I ONLY use Earth Science Fragrance Free Almond Aloe Facial Moisturizer. That’s it. All I ever put on my face is a very small amount of lotion each morning, that I lightly massage in around my eyes, and with upward strokes on my cheeks and neck. Exercise can be hard, but this is the part that many women find extremely difficult: no makeup. I actually did wear makeup briefly in my late teens and early twenties, although I switched very quickly from the full shabang to using only a natural powder for rouge and eye shadow. (It came in a little clay bottle with a cork, does anyone remember that? I don’t remember the name, now!). Still, I was consistently getting some acne, especially little red bumps. I was trying all kinds of products and scrubs, Then I saw a doctor who said to me, “If I was you, I wouldn’t put anything on my face.” She also told me about the link between synthetic fragrance and skin eruptions, especially when combined with sunshine. At the time, I was very surprised, because I had read that sunshine could help acne, but it was true that mine seemed to get worse after being out in the sun. I tried her advice, found a fragrance free lotion, and stopped putting anything else at all on my face. Bingo, I stopped getting outbreaks of these little red bumps. Since then, I have tried wearing makeup, only natural makeup, and have found that as soon as I do, I get some acne within a day or two, especially at the chin line. I also use fragrance free shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent. (to protect from fragrance reactions from use of sheets, towels, and hair touching the skin)

Anti-Inflammatory Diet – I’m generally pretty careful with my diet, with occasional splurges. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol and don’t smoke anything at all. I don’t eat spicy food. These are all very heating. I avoid dairy and greasy food. These create dampness. Acne and Eczema are both related to heat and dampness. I do eat lots of greens, whole grains, and fish, and buy organic and hormone-free produce when I can.

Acupuncture and herbs – Even with all this clean living, I still sometimes got some acne just before my period. Soon, I came across Chinese Medicine, and decided to give it a try. Within a few months of consistent treatments and herbs, I stopped getting premenstrual acne or headaches. I had been thinking about it, and this is what clinched my decision to go to Acupuncture school. I continue to get Acupuncture regularly, at least twice a month and often more, since life is full of stress and change, and Qi Stagnation inevitably builds up. I take Chinese herbs almost every day, as I consider it part of my diet.

Deep Relaxation, Express your Emotions – Emotions, especially stress and anger, can often “bubble up” onto the face, especially if they are repressed. So it’s NOT that you’re not supposed to have these emotions. They need to be expressed, in a healthy way. Figuring out your emotional triggers can by key. It’s also important to learn how to manage stress. We all have it, so try to reduced it the best you can, and then try some sort of deep relaxation. I’ve been a meditator for 30 years, and that works for me. That might interest you, or you might prefer to listen to guided relaxations. These days, “there’s an app for that!”

So that’s it! No complicated facial care regime, no lists of products. Just “simple” diet and lifestyle, and actually leaving your face alone as much as possible. Somehow, that can be the hardest thing to do, but it’s worth it! Good luck!

I’ve often heard that many famous athletes and stars use Acupuncture. Recently, I saw a list in the publication, Acupuncture Today. They tell us that athletes use acupuncture to “recover from soreness and fatigue faster, to feel stronger and feel more balanced.” That inspired me to look further online, and I found that using Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is actually a trend among many stars! This highlights the fact that Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be used even if you are feeling healthy, to promote optimal well-being, or to recover from minor injuries. These are just a few of the most famous athletes and stars. Follow some of the links I’ve embedded to read about many, many more!

Kobe Bryant – This NBA superstar actually posted photos of his leg with acupuncture needles in it on his social media platforms. He wanted to show his fans he was using Eastern medicine along with conventional therapies to recover form a recent injury.

Sandra Bullock– It’s well-known that Sandra gets acupuncture regularly, and even requires that it be included in her contract! It’s her “secret weapon” for staying younger looking and keeping up vitality.

Robert Downy, Jr. – My girlfriends and I have had a crush on Robert for a long time, and now I know why! He uses TCM regularly, and says it has “had a profound a profound impact in all areas of his life for many years.” He even does Qi Gong, and was given an award for his advocacy of TCM. Maybe I felt his energy all along!

Jason Hammel – A pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles at the time (now he’s with the Cubs), Jason used Acupuncture at the suggestion of his wife, and said he was “astonished” at how good it made him feel! It helped his energy, to enliven a “dead arm,”, and he also went in to use it as an alternative to medications for cholesterol. The cholesterol meds had given him body aches and hampered his abilities.

Finally, many Olympic athletes use Acupuncture and TCM. Kevin Overland, a Canadian speed skater, used it to recover from a hip injury and won a Bronze medal, according to Acupuncture Today. Many athletes in the London Olympics also used Acupuncture. Five time Olympian high jumper Amy Acuff uses Acupuncture to heal from injuries and regulate her nervous system. And there are many, many more! In summary, Acupuncture is becoming known for being good for what ails you.

Here is an affirmation I like to say daily or at least weekly. It will help you take care of yourself. I got it from a little Yoga Routine/Mediation I often do in the mornings. It’s a transcript of the words the teacher, Gael Chiarella, speaks at the end of the routine. I’m hoping she won’t mind, as long as I credit her and encourage you to buy her AM/PM Yoga Meditations. They’re my favorite for doing guided deep relaxations. The PM ones help you sleep!

An affirmation I like to say daily, with love and care, no judgment or guilt:

I offer you, my body, these affirmations:

I recognize that You are the temple in which my spirit and my creative energy dwell

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About Rhoda

Rhoda Climenhaga has studied Chinese medicine for nearly twenty years. She has practiced herbal medicine for fifteen years, and acupuncture for ten years. She focuses on womens health, chronic pain and general health and well being. She practices in Oakland, California